


glow.

by pyroallerdyce



Series: wintery, christmasy stories (plus a few new year's eve ones) [69]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe -Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Lights, Cold Weather, Conversations, December writing challenge, Established Relationship, F/M, First Meetings, Flash Forward, Inspired by Music, Kissing, Marriage Proposal, Neighbors, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Short One Shot, Tumblr Prompt, Winter, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000, relationships(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:36:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28075572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce
Summary: He lived in a house on a cul-de-sac where everyone went all out, so he went all out too.  He spent seven hours on December first putting up all the lights and other lighted decorations that he had, and he always left them on all night just like everyone else on the street.  The cul-de-sac had a reputation for being the most Christmasy street in the entire town, and Piotr was proud to be a part of it.He’d gotten a new neighbor in the last week of November, a beautiful woman who seemed to live alone.  He’d meant to go over and introduce himself, but his boss had given him a huge project on November twenty-seventh and he was too exhausted to do anything.He still spent seven hours putting up lights on December first though.  It didn’t matter that he finished at one a.m. and was exhausted the next day.  He had a reputation to help the street maintain.or:  Piotr is part of a cul-de-sac that heavily decorates for Christmas.  Then he gets a new neighbor who doesn't decorate at all.
Relationships: Kitty Pryde/Piotr Rasputin
Series: wintery, christmasy stories (plus a few new year's eve ones) [69]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1188964
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6
Collections: December Writing Challenge - 2020





	glow.

**Author's Note:**

> December writing challenge day 14. I don't know what to make of this one.
> 
> and as always, if you like what you read and you want to see more, please let me know via a comment or kudos or bookmark so that I know I'm not writing into a void. enjoy!
> 
> December 14 Prompt - “Look, I get that you go all out with the Christmas decorations, but I can see your flashing lights through the blinds on my bedroom window and they’ve kept me awake the past few days.” (munchkinpotterhead on Tumblr)  
> Title Song: Glow by Brett Eldredge

Piotr loved American Christmases.

Most people were friendly and totally into the Christmas spirit, the decorations made him feel happy and warm inside, but his favorite part had to be all the Christmas lights. He lived in a house on a cul-de-sac where everyone went all out, so he went all out too. He spent seven hours on December first putting up all the lights and other lighted decorations that he had, and he always left them on all night just like everyone else on the street. The cul-de-sac had a reputation for being the most Christmasy street in the entire town, and Piotr was proud to be a part of it.

He’d gotten a new neighbor in the last week of November, a beautiful woman who seemed to live alone. He’d meant to go over and introduce himself, but his boss had given him a huge project on November twenty-seventh and he was too exhausted to do anything. 

He still spent seven hours putting up lights on December first though. It didn’t matter that he finished at one a.m. and was exhausted the next day. He had a reputation to help the street maintain.

His part in the project was finished on December fifth, and he planned on going to introduce himself to the beautiful woman that weekend. He came home from work, turned on the Christmas lights, and collapsed onto his sofa. He’d figure out dinner later. 

And then the doorbell rang.

Groaning, Piotr hauled himself off the sofa and went to the front door, opening it to find the beautiful woman standing there. “Hello.”

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Kitty. I’m your new neighbor.”

Kitty. Piotr couldn’t help but think the name fit his perception of her perfectly.

“Well, Kitty, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Piotr.”

Kitty smiled. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Piotr.”

“Please, come inside,” Piotr asked. “It’s freezing today.”

“Thank you,” Kitty replied, walking into the house. “I’m sorry I haven’t gotten over here to introduce myself yet. I’ve been swamped with work and then spending all my free time unpacking. I am having the most dreadful time finding things.”

“It’s fine. I haven’t gone to your house to introduce myself because of work too.”

“What is it that you do?” Kitty asked, and that launched them into a discussion about work. 

Piotr explained that he worked as a guidance counselor at the local high school and Kitty told him that she was a manager at one of the local banks. The conversation turned to their college days and they found out that they had both gone to the same school, which launched them into a conversation about the current season for the school’s football team. Kitty’s knowledge of the players impressed Piotr, and she told him that she got her love of the sport from her dad. 

And then Kitty got down to why she’d come over. “Look, I get that you go all out with the Christmas decorations, but I can see your flashing lights through the blinds on my bedroom window and they’ve kept me awake the past few days.” 

“I’m sorry about that,” Piotr said sincerely. “I’m sure your lights will do the same thing to me once you get them up.”

“I’m not putting up lights,” Kitty responded, and Piotr instantly became slightly worried.

“This is the place in town to go all out with lights,” he explained. “We have a reputation. Everyone does it.”

“Well, then you guys are just going to have to deal with the fact that I’m Jewish and don’t put up Christmas lights.”

Jewish.

She was Jewish.

Piotr had never even thought that someone might move onto the cul-de-sac that wouldn’t want to put up Christmas lights because of a difference of religion.

“I didn’t know,” Piotr said. “And I understand.”

“I don’t mind Christmas lights and decorations and all of that. I fully understand that Christmas is a big holiday for both Christians and a lot of secularists at the same time. I just don’t participate,” Kitty explained. “And I didn’t know about the block’s reputation. I’m sorry that I’m going to ruin it.”

“You’re not going to ruin anything,” Piotr said seriously. “We’ll just have to explain it should anyone ask. I wouldn’t want people to think that you’re a Scrooge. Do you know who Scrooge is? I don’t know if you would.”

Kitty laughed. “Just because I don’t celebrate it doesn’t mean I don’t know who Scrooge is.”

“Well, I didn’t know.”

“It’s alright,” Kitty replied. “But can we get back to your lights? You leave them on all night.”

“It’s tradition on the block,” Piotr said.

“Okay, but can you maybe just make them solid then? The flashing really is distracting and I have a hard time falling asleep because of it.”

Piotr nodded. “I can do that. All I should have to do is adjust something on the controller, but if I have to get up and do it on the lights themselves, then you’re going to have to wait until tomorrow. I’m too exhausted to get up on a ladder tonight.”

“I understand,” Kitty said, smiling. “Thank you for adjusting them for me. I really appreciate that.”

“Of course. And I’m sorry they’ve been keeping you awake.”

“It’s alright,” Kitty said, glancing at her watch. “I’ve got dinner in the oven so I’ve got to get back home. Would you like to come over? The recipe made way too much for just me.”

Piotr thought about how he hadn’t figured out what he would eat for dinner yet, then he thought about how this would be a good opportunity to get to know Kitty better, and he nodded. “That would be great, Kitty.”

Kitty smiled. “Then come over in about ten minutes. It should be about done by then.”

“I’ll be there then.”

“Excellent.” 

Piotr opened the front door and Kitty stepped outside. “Should I bring anything with me?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to some wine if you have any,” Kitty responded. “But don’t feel like you have to.”

“I’ll bring some wine then,” Piotr said. “And I’ll see you in about ten minutes.”

Kitty smiled and nodded before walking away, and Piotr walked out onto his porch and headed towards the light’s controller. He peered at it for a moment before turning a knob so the flashing was off, smiled when the lights went solid, and then went back inside. He found a bottle of red wine that he hadn’t opened, bundled himself up for the cold, and took a deep breath. 

Good impression. He needed to make a good impression. 

And then he walked out the door.

**Two years later…**

“Alright, are you ready?” Piotr asked, and Kitty nodded.

“It’s freezing out here so the sooner this is over, the better.”

“I know it’s cold, but it’ll be worth it,” Piotr responded. “This is important. It’s our first year of joint decorations.”

Kitty smiled. “I know. But let’s get this over with.”

Piotr nodded and reached for the remotes in his hand, pressing a few buttons on them and grinning as the lights and lighted decorations came to life before them. The mix of Hanukkah decorations into his Christmas decorations had worked out seamlessly, he decided. Everything looked perfect. 

And then Kitty spoke.

“Honey? The lights are flashing.”

Piotr knew that they were, but they’d been flashing for a reason, and nerves jumped up within him. “Just a second.”

He jogged up the sidewalk to the controller, turned the flashing off, took a deep breath to calm down, and then jogged back to where she was standing. “There.”

Kitty smiled. “It looks great.”

“Yeah, it does,” Piotr said, reaching into his pocket. “You know, we met over flashing lights.”

“That we did,” Kitty said, smiling at him. “That is the most important conversation I’ve ever had because it was the beginning of something really beautiful.”

Piotr’s fingers grasped the ring and pulled it out of his pocket, and he took another deep breath. “It is something really beautiful,” he said. “And I don’t want that to end.”

“I don’t want it to end either,” Kitty said. 

“Then how about we make sure that it doesn’t,” Piotr breathed out as he held out the ring to her.

Kitty’s eyes flicked between Piotr’s face and the ring as her eyes filled with tears. “Are you being serious?”

“Completely. What do you say? Will you marry me?”

Kitty grinned and launched herself at him, kissing him several times as she murmured yes. Piotr smiled into the kisses and when Kitty finally pulled back, he reached for her hand. Sliding the ring onto her finger, he took a deep breath. “I promise the lights will never flash again.”

Kitty laughed. “I love you, Piotr.”

Piotr pulled her into another kiss. “I love you too, Kitty.”

They turned their attention back to the lights, both thinking about how Christmas lights would forever have a different meaning to them.


End file.
